Convertible car.



" PATBNTED FBB .V11,;1908.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.V

E. T. ROBINSON.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

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APPLICATION FILED APB.. 20, 1908. 4

EDWARD T. ROBINSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CONVERTIBLE CAR.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed April 20. 1906. Serial No. 312.917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ROBIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Cars, of which the `following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to a railway car more particularly intended for street car service and so constructed that it may be converted from a condition for closed or winter service to a condition for open or summer service and vice versa.

The improvement relates particularly to the construction of the walls of the car embodying movable parts that are adapted to be seated between the usual wall posts and to be placed in lowered position to close the spaces between said posts when the car is in closed condition and to be elevated tothe ceiling of the car when the car is to be used in an open condition.

Figure I is a side elevation of part of a car constructed in accordance with my improvement. Fig. II is a vertical section taken on line II-III, Fi I, showing the movable wall members inIowered positions. Fig. III is a vertical section taken on line II-III, Fig. I, showing the movable wall members in elevated positionss Fig. IV is an enlarged elevation partly broken out, of portions of the movable sashes and one of the posts interposed between the sashes, shown partly in section, and also showing the retaining means by which the upper sashes are steadied when in lowered position. Fig. V is an enlar ed vertical section taken through the movab e wall members,the parts being shown partially broken out. Fig. VI is a horizontal section taken on line VI-VI, Fig. II, through one of the wall posts and the movable wall members, said members being shown in the positions assumed when the lower of said members are elevated to the uppermost member previous to the raising of all of said members to a position beneath the car roof. Fig. VII is an enlarged elevation of portions of the lowermost movable wall member, one of the pocket strips carried by the neXt to the lowermost movable wall member, and a catch carried by said lowermost member and arranged for engagement with said pocket strip.

1 designates the floor of my car, 2 the car roof and 3 the car ceiling. Beneath the outer edge of the roof 2 is the usual fascia board 4.

5 designates wall posts by which the roof of the car is sup orted. Each of these posts is provided wit a lower runway 6 of tapering shape, an intermediate runway 7 and an uipper runway 8.

9 esignates a lower movable wall membe or panel that is adapted to seat, when in lowered position, in the post runways 6 of adjoining wall posts. This lower wall member is provided at its upper edge with a top strip 9 that juts inwardly from the member. The lower wall member has attached thereto at its inner side steadying spring 9a, adapted to seat against the inner walls of the runways 6, lwhereby said wall member is constantly pressed outwardly while in a lowered position. The free ends ofthe springs 9a are preferably attached to the wall member by pins 9b that (pass through slots in the springs and intov sai members (see Fig. V).

10 is an intermediate movable wall member or sash that is adapted to seat, when in soy lowered position, in the intermediate post runways 7. n

11 is an upper movable wall member or sash that is adapted to seat in the upper post runways 8 when in lowered position. The intermediate wall member 10 is adapted to lap onto the upper ortion of the lower wall member 9 when said) parts are in lowered position and also to lap onto the lower portion of the upper movable wall member 11 when the parts are in such lowered ositions. For the purpose of producing a tlght joint between the lower end of the intermediate wall member 10 and the upper end of the lower wall member 9, I rabbet the lower end of the intermediate wall member at 1Q so that it may be snugly fitted to the lower member, as seen in Figs. II and V.

l2 designates channel pocket strips that are of uniform width throughout and are secured to the'intermediate wall member 10 at its side which opposes the lower wall member 9 and into which said lower wall member is loosely fitted to slide therein. At the upper end of each of these pocket strips 12 is a stop 13 that closes or partially closes said channel and is adapted to restrict the upward movement of the lower wall member when said member is raised in said pocket strip.

14 designates'channel pocket strips similar to those 12 which are secured to the upper movable wall member 11 at its side which opposes the -intermediate wall member 10 and in which said intermediate wall member is movably seated. The upper ends of the pocket strips 14 are closed or partially closed by stops 15 that serve to restrict the upward movement of the intermediate wall member in said strips.

The movable wall members when in the positions seen in Figs. I, II, IV and V, are in lowered condition and serve to close the spaces between the posts 5, at which time said members occupy their respective runways in the posts and the members being in lowered condition throughout the car, the car is in a condition for closed or winter service. When it is desired to convert the car into a condition for open or summer service the lower movable wall members 9 are first elevated in the pocket strips 12 carried by the intermediate wall members 10. The intermediate wall members with their pocket strips and the lower wall members therein are then elevated to move said intermediate wall members upwardly in the pocket strips 14 carried by the upper wall members and then all of the wall members are elevated together into the space X (see Figs. II and III) between the roof 2 and the ceiling 3 of the car, thereby leaving the spaces between the posts 5 wholly unobstructed in order` that said spaces may be used as passageways for entrance into and eXit from the car.

It will be readily understood that when the car is to be again converted into closed condition the movable wall members are lowered into their former positions. 16 are bracket strips preferably of angular form which are secured to the fascia board 4 or other fixed part of the car and against which the movable wall members rest to be supported in their elevated positions.

For the purpose of preventing separation of the lower movable wall members or panels 9 from the intermediate wall members, when said wall members are being lowered from their elevated position, I apply to each of said lower members a catch 17 provided with a bolt 18, most clearly seen in Fig. VII. The pocket strip 12 that is opposed by said catch is provided with a notch 12 into which the catch bolt 18 is adapted to enter for the purpose of supporting said lower wall member within the pocket-strips that receive it until said intermediate member is completely lowered when it is being moved to closed position. After said intermediate member has been lowered the catch bolt 18 is withdrawn from the notch 12 and the lower wall member may then be lowered to closed position, thereby avoiding any injury to said member such as might result from its falling to the floor of the car, while the intermediate wall member is being disposed in the post runways provided for its reception.

In order that the lower wall members may be firmly held in their lowered positions I provide in one of the wall posts to which each lower member is fitted a pocket 5 adapted to receive the catch bolt 18 and secure the post at the location of the pocket a keeper plate 5a.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a convertible car, the combination of wall posts provided with runways, and movable wall members arranged to operate in said runways, one of said wall members being provided with pocket members closed at one end and into which another of said members is adapted to enter, substantially as set forth.

2. In a convertible car, the combination of wall posts provided with runways, movable wall members arranged to operate in said runways, and channel pocket strips closed at one end and carried by one of said wall members and adapted to receive another of said members, substantially as set forth.

3. In a convertible car, the combination of wall posts provided with runways, movable wall members arranged to operate in said runways, and channel pocket strips carried by one of said wall members adapted to receive another of said members; said pocket strips being provided with stops for limiting the movement of the wall member entering thereinto, substantially as set forth.

4. In a convertible car, the combination of wall posts provided with runways, upper, intermediate and lower movable wall members arranged to operate in said runways, and pocket members carried by said upper and intermediate members adapted to receive respectively said intermediate and lower members; said pocket members being closed at their upper end, substantially as set forth.

5. In a convertible car, the combination of wall posts provided with runways, upper, intermediate and lower movable wall members arranged to operate in said runways, and pocket members carried by said upper and intermediate members adapted to receive `respectively said intermediate and lower members; said pocket members being proylidedi with stops, substantially as set 'ort 6. In aeonvertible car, the combination of mediate and lower members; said pocket wall posts provided with runways, upper, members being of uniform Width throughout intermediate and lower movable wall memsubstantially as set forth.

bers arranged to operate in said runways, EDWARD T. ROBINSON. 5 and channel shaped pocket members carried In presence of n by said upper and intermediate members HELEN J. MURPHY,

adapted to receive respectively said inter- M. C. MURPHY. 

